Have you heard a rumor that Disney is closing Galaxy’s Edge? Did a friend share an article that claims Star Wars land is closing in 2023? Were you watching a TikTok about how Galaxy’s Edge is closing permanently this year? This is also a common question on our Discord server. However, there is no credible news that Disney plans to close Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. From the origins of the rumor to why it keeps coming back, here is why you might have heard that Disney is closing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Note: Are you looking for what time Galaxy’s Edge closes? This article is about rumors that Disney is closing the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge theme park land permanently. For the last park hours and closing times, visit the Disneyland website for Galaxy’s Edge in California and the Walt Disney World website for Galaxy’s Edge in Florida.
What Started the Rumors That Disney Is Closing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge?
Rumors about Disney closing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge started when the satirical news site Mouse Trap News posted about it in late February 2023. With some fans unaware it is a fake news site, the article caused a lot of reactions.
The fake article mentions that Disney is closing the land due to high operating costs and lower fan interest. It also touches on a lack of market demand for Star Wars content and experiences.
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It goes even further, saying that Disney’s Hollywood Studios is bringing back Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, Studio Backlot Tour, and Streets of America. The story goes so far as to claim that an unnamed insider told them that Disney kept most of the original props for this area.
Interestingly, the article focused almost entirely on the Hollywood Studios version at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Other than mentioning that Galaxy’s Edge lands exist in both California and Florida, it barely references Disneyland.
While the attention the article got caused fans to speculate, it is not the only reason for the rumors. The Galactic Starcruier closing, lower park attendance, and clickbait headlines keep the rumor mill going.
News of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Closing
In May of 2023, Disney announced that they were closing the Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World. The announcement helped revive rumors that Disney would close the theme park land.
Here is the full announcement about the closing of Galactic Starcruiser:
The final voyage for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will take place Sept. 28-30, 2023.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our Guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment. This premium experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and we will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our Guests and fans.
We will be contacting Guests booked for voyages departing on or after Sept. 30 to discuss their options and modify their plans. To prioritize these Guests, we are pausing new bookings until May 26.
We are so proud of all of the Cast Members and Imagineers who brought Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser to life and look forward to delivering an excellent experience for Guests during the remaining voyages over the coming months.
Part of the reason guests thought they were closing Galaxy’s Edge is because the names are similar. While Star Wars fans might spot the difference, casual Disney fans could easily confuse Galactic Starcuiser with Galaxy’s Edge. This is especially true when skimming headlines or scrolling on social media.
Lower Park Attendance
Another reason for the continued rumors is that park attendance is supposedly down. But it’s important to remember that Disney does not traditionally release park attendance numbers. Instead, news sites use wait time trackers like Thrill Data or anecdotal evidence from social media.
That said, Thrill Data does show a decrease in wait times. Looking at the data for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the average wait time dropped from 40 minutes in September 2022 to 36 minutes in September 2023. The data also shows the average wait times for Disneyland Park dropped from 27 minutes to 26 minutes over the same period.
However, lower wait times do not necessarily mean lower attendance. It could also mean that fewer people are waiting in line for those attractions. From Lightning Lane purchases to the age of the attractions, few guests could be waiting in line.
Since Galaxy’s Edge opened, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway also opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. A number of other major attractions opened at Walt Disney World. They include Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in Epcot and Tron Lightcycle Run in Magic Kingdom.
The Disneyland park updated Mickey’s Toontown, adding Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, among other attractions. Also, the Avengers Campus opened at California Adventure with the popular Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure attraction.
Again, this doesn’t mean that attendance isn’t down. It’s just a reminder that wait times are only one indication. You might love Star Tours, but would you wait 60 minutes to ride it? Probably not. More than likely, you will wait until the line drops to 25 minutes or less.
Clickbait Headlines Fuel Galaxy’s Edge Rumors
Clickbait headlines are one of the main reasons that rumors persist about Star Wars land closing. Many theme park news sites use misleading headlines that imply Galaxy’s Edge may close. The articles are padded with a lot of general Disney Parks knowledge, only to announce refurbishment closures or changes in park hours.
A recent headline from Inside The Magic claims, “Disney Confirms Beloved Theme Park Closure, Thousands Affected.” Despite the sensationalism of the headline, the article rambles on about mostly nonsense. It finally wraps up with news about recent changes in park hours.
Similar clickbait articles about lower park attendance continue to feed rumors that Disney could shut down Galaxy’s Edge. A recent The Daily Beast article said, “Disney World Empties Out,” while Yahoo! News recently called the parks a “ghost town.”
However, the worst clickbait headlines come from the site Love the Maldives. Why would a travel site for an island chain in South Asia have news about the Disney Parks? Well, they aggregate articles about many vacation destinations. This is a popular but questionable marketing method that some companies use to drive visibility to their website.
Basically, they use tools to grab content from around the internet. They then publish frequently asked questions pages about various topics or destinations, including the Disney Parks. This effectively exploits the way that search engines work. It makes the site seem more important. As a result, it appears higher in search results.
However, these sites rarely fact-check the data. Since “is Disney closing Galaxy’s Edge” is a trending term, they included it in their article. While the answer is about the Galactic Starcruiser closing, it feeds the rumor that Disney is closing the theme park land.
The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Discord is an unofficial fan group dedicated to Star Wars and the Disney Parks.
Best known for holding lightsaber meetups at Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland and Disney World, we also host other virtual and in-person events for Star Wars fans.
Our Discord server is a family-friendly and inclusive space where fans of all ages can discuss Star Wars and Galaxy’s Edge safely.
Whether you are planning a trip to Batuu or want to chat about the latest Star Wars movies, shows, books, comics, and more, we are one of the largest Star Wars fan communities.
Join the discussion free on our Discord server and follow our social channels for the last Disney Parks news and saber meetups.
Rooks is an SEO strategist, copywriter, and content editor who occasionally masquerades as a designer, photographer, brewer, or cook.
A lifelong Star Wars geek, his earliest memories are playing with Kenner action figures while watching the Original Trilogy on VHS. Aside from keeping up with the latest Star Wars content, he enjoys living out his own Star Wars story at Galaxy’s Edge East.
Rooks is passionate about cooking and loves discussing and occasionally writing about food, beer, and cocktails. Never far from his emotional support laptop, you can often find him hammering out words at local coffee shops or breweries around Orlando.
His other interests include starting a new hobby every week, watching old Columbo episodes, and avoiding folding the laundry. Aside from Star Wars, his fandoms include the MCU, Harry Potter, Battlestar Galactica, and the Lord of the Rings.